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Saturday, August 12, 2017

Recently earned “A Cut Above” award working as a Team Member at JOANN Fabric and Craft Stores. This silver scissors-pin is awarded for providing good customer service — and as this is something I strive to do in all of my professional relationships, it really means a lot to me, to have earned this recognition.

Finished out a busy week preparing for the new school year at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts. By the end of my shift on Friday in SRCSA Library, I’d successfully located boxes of curriculum from a large go-through pile. I compared these resources against a check-list of items that had been requested by teachers. Then I loaded items onto a book-cart, and delivered them to classrooms. The “other side of the coin,” of course, is clearing away out-of-date items. With a book-truck and cart, I removed items from a classroom in preparation to send them back-to-district.

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Brought my bicycle to work with me on Wednesday in the library at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts. Once we’ve fully effected our move, this workplace scene will be a daily reality. I’ll be able to commute every day on foot, via public transportation, or on bicycle.

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Charles de Lint is one of my favorite authors, for his infusion of magic and fantasy into everyday modern cityscapes.

Having recently read and enjoyed The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, it was an unexpected treat to discover an uncorrected bound proof of The Blue Girl (Firebird, 2006) in my favorite second-hand bookstore.

This book is ideally positioned for inclusion in a Young Adult library collection. The protagonists, Imogene and Maxine, face bullying from the “popular” kids, plus having to deal with their growing independence while living under a parent’s rules.
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Tuesday, August 8, 2017

I returned this week, for the new school year, to Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts, where I work as a “textbook librarian.” (My official job title is “Instructional Materials Technician.”) Feels great to be at the renovated campus and in SRCSA Library, where I’m wading through math curriculum. I just feel so at-home when I am working in a library, and I’m grateful for this opportunity that allowed my family to return to northern California.

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Anda, a teen girl who has just moved to a new school, is inspired to join a guild in a massive multiplayer role-playing game, at the invitation of the guild’s organizer, who came to speak to her high-school computer class.

A more experienced player soon invites Anda on missions with real-world earning potential: money will be deposited in her PayPal account if she kills “gold farmers” in the game.

At first, Anda is excited by the opportunity to earn easy money; she dispatches gold farmers, and has money to buy snacks for her Sci-Fi Club at school.

But Anda discovers that the gold farmers she is killing are not game-generated “bots,” but people who make a living under grueling conditions: during 12-hour shifts at computers, they direct their in-game avatars to collect artifacts. Their employer sells these resources to players who want to “level up” or acquire online possessions without putting in their own effort.
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Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Sad loss to the arts community in Lake County, Calif.: Xian Yeagan died at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1, in San Francisco (according to posts on his Facebook timeline).

I knew Xian as an artist, and also worked with him through the Lake County Arts Council. He was its web editor, and I edited “ArtNotes,” the arts council’s quarterly members’ newsletter, from 2006 to 2010. I greatly valued his prolific contributions of photos and informative articles.

Monday, July 31, 2017

In Olympia, Wash., a church’s director of religious education took an unflinching look with her students at how diverse the program’s book collection was — discovering that while they had many books showing people with diverse skin colors, there was still “a very tall pile of books” that only had white people in them, without “anywhere near enough books that feature diversity in ability, sexual orientation, or gender.” Honest assessments like this are a great starting place for determining whether every child in a library’s (or a classroom’s) population will find books that speak to their personal experiences and validate their cultural identities. My appreciation to “DRESara” for sharing this process with her readership.

I found Cat Zero by Jennifer L. Rohn (Biting Duck Press, January 2018) to be very suspenseful in its treatment of a virus outbreak, and could emotionally relate to the urgency of keeping the virus contained.

The story was well-done, with characters who seemed like real people, complete with preconceptions and biases that affected the work at-hand. I foresee this book especially appealing to people who like medical thrillers.

The best parts of the story, for me, were when Artie and the other researchers attempted to piece together information and solve the mystery of the virus, and I kept waiting for the moment when someone would connect the lethal virus affecting cats, to the contagion spreading among humans. (That link was depicted in the story’s opening pages, so I don’t think this insight is a spoiler.)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher. The opinion expressed is my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

One of the consistent joys of my life is reading fantasy stories involving cats.

The Blue Cat of Castle Town is a delightful story by Catherine Cate Coblentz, illustrated by Janice Holland. Originally published in 1949 by the Countryman Press, it was released by Dover in 2017 as an unabridged reproduction.

Blue cats are born with a rare ability to learn the song of the river — and one such cat is born near a small town in Vermont, during the 19th Century.

The blue cat faces a unique challenge beyond those of ordinary cats. “Not only must the kitten who sings the river’s song find a hearth to fit that song, but he must teach the keeper of that hearth to sing the same song. ... For if the river’s song rise no longer from the hearthside, then it is said, the very days of the land itself are numbered.”
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Sunday, July 30, 2017

Bullying takes on especially-high priority with a U.S. President in office who’s been dubbed “Bully in Chief.” One recent incident concerns interjection of “political rhetoric” by U.S. President Donald Trump into a speech that he delivered during Boy Scouts of America’s 20th National Jamboree. An invitation to the current president to visit has been a long-standing Jamboree tradition according to “ScoutingWire.”
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In The No Asshole Rule, a book about workplace bullying (Warner Business Books, 2007), Robert I. Sutton discusses research by Dan Olweus into bullying among children in Norway, which included long-term, follow-up studies of bullies and their victims.
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Friday, July 28, 2017

Among member libraries, the summer-reading theme this year for the Collaborative Summer Library Program was “Building a Better World.” In Scottsbluff, Neb., the Gering and Lied Scottsbluff Public Libraries wrapped up their summer reading programs with a bullying-prevention presentation by ventriloquist Kevin Horner.
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Tuesday, July 25, 2017

In a piece for the Wall Street Journal (summarized by A Mighty Girl), Laura Barbour observes that children as young as 2 1/2 engage in relational aggression.

That is, they deliberately shun or withhold friendship in order to punish another child.

This revelation came as zero-surprise to me, as I was a school-wide outcast. I remember my first day of kindergarten at Calistoga Elementary; I felt completely awkward and alone, like an absolute alien — a visitor marooned on an unfamiliar planet with no guidelines to relate to its inhabitants.

This feeling of separation continued through my time at Calistoga Junior-Senior High.
If friendship was offered to me, I had difficulty recognizing it; I have too-vivid memories of playground taunts, of being shoved in hallways, and of being told by one classmate that she would only be my friend in-secret, when no one else was around.

I could only react with suspicion when classmates showed interest in me — for example, inviting me to talk about a subject I cared about. I was convinced they were only doing it, so they could laugh about it behind my back.

With its summary of Laura Barbour’s article, A Mighty Girl recommends several excellent books about bullying; some (by Tracy Ludwig) were already familiar to me, but I look forward to reading some of the others through my crusade to speak out against bullying.

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Artisans, crafters and hobbyists demostrated their skills during a Maker Day event at the Bill Library, Saturday, July 22, in Ledyard, Conn. The library started its maker program about two years ago and holds monthly hands-on classes.
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Saturday, July 22, 2017

Sandra Wade, a former Poet Laureate of Lake County, Calif., died Tuesday, July 18. Sandra was a staunch advocate for local culture as Lake County Poet Laureate, so supportive and nurturing of other Lake County writers. I always enjoyed learning about the different places she’d gone to read and represent Lake County to a broader artistic community.

The photo above is from the Summer 2006 ArtNotes, a quarterly newsletter of the Lake County Arts Council. Photographed by Xian Yeagan, the image shows Sandra, center, being inaugurated as Lake County Poet Laureate for 2006-2008. Flanking her are finalists Janet Riehl, left, and Fran Ransley, right.

“Former poet laureate of Lake County and local radio show host, Sandra Wade, passed away Tuesday, July 18, 2017. Sandra had returned to her native England where she lived in Halisham. She was surrounded by her loving family. She enriched the lives of many with her work as a massage therapist, a yoga teacher and a weaver of words. She is greatly missed.”

Many people, according to Andrew Faas, relate the word “bullying” to what happens in schools; they don’t associate workplace behaviors with bullying until, Faas says, he describes the dynamics of bullying with words like “abuse,” “coercion,” “exploitation,” “extortion,” “harassment,” and “threats.”

In From Bully to Bull’s Eye (RCJ Press, 2016), Faas argues that workplace bullying extends beyond an incident or conflict between a bully and target at work. According to Faas, “entire workplace cultures in many organizations are built on foundational principles that guarantee a toxic environment for all, not just a few select victims of particularly vitriolic harassment.”

Friday, July 21, 2017

Southern Oregon readers, note: Friends of the Medford Library​ is holding a “giant” book-clearance event, its “largest event ever,” noon to 4 p.m. Friday, July 28, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 29, at the central library in Medford, Jackson County Library Services - Oregon​. The latest “Friends” newsletter features details of this event, as well as other news of interest. During the “sale,” you can take whatever — and however many — books you like, and leave a donation of your choice. Three rooms of books will include large selections of science fiction, fiction and other categories, including record albums and other audio/visual materials.

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Six years ago, our precious cat Starfire joined our household. Every day since then, she has been a perpetual delight.

Jonathan brought Starfire home on July 15, 2011. Here she is, peering out from beneath a dresser during her first night at home with us.

Starfire’s name evokes her color, which is nearly all black. She has white “stars” on her chest and belly. On her right hind foot, Starfire has a broken or deformed toe and she limps on hard ground or during cold weather. Her personality is full of zeal for exploration and play.

Starfire joined us shortly after the death of our 13-year-old cat Elizabeth. Starfire had been fending for herself after her former caregiver suffered a severe stroke.

Her arrival in our home was a case of us needing her as badly as she needed us. The place felt lonely without the presence of a cat and Starfire was in need of a caregiver.

Once over the stress of an unfamiliar environment, Starfire brought so much life and energy to our home; she continues to bless us daily.

Tracy Gray has been named interim director at Sonoma County Library. Gray, formerly manager of SCL’s Central Library, has been serving as acting director since the departure of Brett Lear in May (via Christi Warren, Press Democrat).

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Devin's mother gives him rules for safely riding his bicycle, but once on his bike, he tries but fails to remember what he should and should not do.

He agrees to give his friend Betsy a ride on his handlebars — with immediate loss of visibility and bicycle maneuverability.

Things go from bad to worse as, one by one, Devin acts counter to another bicycling safety rule and soon an entire basketball team, their goat mascot and a rescued cat are all precariously balanced with him and Betsy on his bicycle.

Kelly Pulley relates an entertaining story that carries a serious message in Bicycling Rules of the Road (Schiffer Publishing, November 2017). Brightly colored illustrations, rhyming text and humorous storyline make this book ideal when reinforcing for children, the importance of safely riding a bicycle.

The rules can all be found in a note to Devin from his mother, making them easy to reference and reinforce with children when reading the story aloud. Nothing is ambiguous; each choice by Devin has a consequence and the text makes cause-and-effect clear.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher. The opinion expressed is my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Friday, June 30, 2017

Among books I’m reading, The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan is the second in his series featuring heroes and gods of Norse mythology, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard.

Like Riordan’s series that center around Egyptian and Greek and Roman mythology, Magnus Chase combines trademark action with wry first-person storytelling.

The protagonist, Magnus, was a seemingly ordinary teen, who was living homeless at the time of the series’ opening.

Magnus died early in the series’ first book, but he was transported to Valhalla by a Valkyrie, Samirah al-Abbas. The Valkyries gather the souls of people who have died a hero’s death, and Samirah’s judgement was critically challenged on the basis of her choosing Magnus.

Friday, June 23, 2017

I have long donated special outreach efforts for “Friends of the Library” book-sale events and this weekend, Friends of the Santa Rosa Libraries is hosting its summer sale in the Forum Room at Sonoma County Library’s Central Library.

Sunday, June 18, 2017

I’ve left Ashland, Oregon, but continue to work as web content editor for Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Recent posts to the RVUUF blog are aligned with my passion for library customer-service; they draw attention to informational resources that enhance the church community.
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As reported and photographed by Pam McLoughlin for the New Haven Register, the exhibit — created by Friends of the Case Memorial Library — “has visitors talking, touching, teaching and marveling at the uniqueness and detail.”

The Friends group installed the exhibit in May, to celebrate the group’s 25th anniversary. “The exhibit was originally slated to stay up through June, but Library Director Meryl Farber loved it so much she requested to keep it up at least until November. Farber said, in her book, it can stay up forever.”

When library staff utilize reviews to determine books’ suitability, “whose voices are privileged and whose go unheard” among the reviews that they read? At Reading While White, Megan Schliesman addresses concern about library collection-development policies that emphasize “professional” reviews. Schliesman argues that professional review journals lean toward “traditional” publishing, which in turn has a bias toward “whiteness” in children’s and young adult literature. She highlights sources of critical discourse beyond the traditional outlets, which can help to foster the diversity of viewpoints that a library will ideally strive for.

Saturday, June 10, 2017

On May 28, 2017, I began working part-time at JOANN Fabrics and Crafts. Weekday mornings and afternoons are spent at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts, leaving me free on evenings and weekends to work at retail shifts. My work at JOANN involves cashiering, and returning bolts of fabric to shelves.

Sunday, May 28, 2017

What an amazing gift! One of my colleagues at Bellview school gave me a Brother sewing machine as a goodbye present. The timing was perfect, as I’d just disposed of two machines no longer fit for service.

Friday, May 26, 2017

I managed to create one final hat before packing up my sewing supplies for the move back to northern California. With the black-and-white brocade patterning of its brim and quartered panels, this newsboy hat is just the thing to wear with the school colors for Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts. And as is often the case with my unique constructions, this hat is entirely assembled from repurposed garments. The patterned pieces come from a thrift-store jacket. The green solid was repurposed from a man's work shirt and the blue comes from a skirt.

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Walked downtown to return a book after work, to the Sonoma County Library. The book had been in Lost-and-Found at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts.

I regularly brought back public-library books when I worked in Bellview Elementary School library. I also retrieved books brought in error to the public library. With both systems automated and relying on book barcoding, the chief difference was a matter of barcode placement when telling each system's books apart.

My one request to patrons was to tell me right away, without embarrassment, if a book was brought to the wrong library.

As part of my ongoing customer-service commitment to the people who rely on our libraries, I gladly volunteer to take on the role of school-to-library courier.

Saturday, May 13, 2017

On May 12, 2017, I began work at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts. Its mission is to provide K-8 students from Santa Rosa, California and beyond with “an innovative, high quality education that focuses on the arts through a challenging, integrated, standards-based academic program.”

(En inglés)
I have a Sonoma County Library card. I can use the card at any county library. I can request books in the automated catalog and have them held at the library for me, and I can download digital books.

Friday, May 5, 2017

This assortment of cards make wonderful keepsakes for my time in Bellview Elementary School library. During my final day at work, groups of students, individuals and classes, gave me these beautiful hand-made cards. Many of them depict scenes in the library: reading, finding and checking out books, while hand-written notes address what I hope have been positive contributions. School staff also signed a copy of teacher-librarian Matt Damon's book, The Fall of General Custard, or, The Overthrow of a Leftover. I will bring wonderful memories with me to the Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

I’ve accepted an offer of employment at the Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts in Sonoma County, Calif. I’m intrigued by the emphasis on the arts at this charter school, having devoted much professional effort toward advocating for the arts.

Monday, April 17, 2017

I have significant news to share with network contacts. My family is in the process of relocating to Sonoma County, Calif., and today I submitted the “Intent to Return” document that, in this case, communicates that I will not return this fall to Bellview Elementary School.

Results are in: Quinny & Hopper by Adriana Brad Schanen is the 2017 winner of the Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Award, and was also top vote-getter among Bellview Elementary School students.

The Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Award (BCCCA) is sponsored by the Oregon Association of School Libraries (OASL), formerly the Oregon Educational Media Association (OEMA). The award is named in honor of Beverly Cleary, the Oregon-born children’s book author.

According to a description on the BCCCA website, children of all ages vote each spring for their favorite title from the list of nominated books. Nominations include books targeted to the reading ability of second- and third-graders or transitional readers.

The idea behind the BCCCA began in the summer of 2001 when Jann Tankersley invited some OEMA friends to discuss the possibilities of creating a children’s choice award. Tankersley is a long-time OASL member and library teacher at Dayton Elementary School.

The group of friends decided to name the award after Beverly Cleary, who wrote for the age group that was being targeted. With Cleary’s permission, the award was created.

Suggestions are currently being accepted for the next award cycle.

Nominated books can be fiction or informational, but should be quality literature, published three years prior to the nomination year, and at a second-grade or third-grade reading level (taking into account vocabulary, graphic support and physical layout of the books).

The purpose of the contest is to encourage reading of books that students may not otherwise find on their own and are not necessarily the popular best sellers. Please send ideas to BCCCA Chair Libby Hamler-Dupras, at elfgirl@Q.com.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

In Ashland School District (ASD), the Health Promotions Committee is getting ready for the Rogue Commute Challenge, a competition among teams to log the most miles by bicycling, walking, carpooling, etc. -- any trip taken by not driving a car alone.

Monday, April 10, 2017

As readers may know, I serve in many professional capacities: including part-time work as Web Content Editor for Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.

From time to time my work involves presentations to the public, and Thursday evening I gave an overview on how to navigate from the church’s WordPress site to the landing page for archived Board Minutes.

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Among the League of American Bicyclists’ latest round of “Bicycle Friendly Business” awardees, two elementary schools are the first to successfully apply. They are Ashlawn Elementary School in Arlington, Va (a new Silver BFB) and Oceano Elementary School in Oceano, Calif. (a new Gold). As someone who hopes to model bicycle-commuting to the children I come in contact with, I share pride for these schools’ accomplishments. I hope that many more schools (and businesses) follow their example.

Monday, April 3, 2017

To punctuate Ashland schools’ return from spring break, here’s an “attitude of gratitude.” The books shown here -- nominees in various “reader’s choice” awards that Oregon students can vote on -- were purchased for Bellview Elementary School library using money that was donated by the Kiwanis Club of Ashland, Oregon. Local groups and volunteers enrich our schools so much, and I am deeply appreciative.

New in Reference, for use in Bellview library, the Oregon Blue Book almanac and fact book (2017-2018) is sure to be an authoritative source for Oregon economy and government. Published regularly for more than 100 years, the 2017-2018 edition was donated to Bellview library compliments of the Oregon Secretary of State. Its web version can be visited at http://bluebook.state.or.us/.

Saturday, April 1, 2017

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion is an amusing and fun read, but it includes book-club materials that demonstrate insensitivity toward the autistic community.

The book tells the story of Don Tillman, a genetics professor who takes a methodical approach to locating a “female life partner.” He drafts a 16-page questionnaire to screen for compatibility, but is brought together with a woman who wants to identify her biological father.

Rosie is everything that Don’s questionnaire indicates should NOT be his ideal match, but they are brought together by their joint project to identify Rosie’s paternity.

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Here is what is waiting in Bellview library, when Ashland schools return from spring break. April is National Poetry Month, and my posterboard display features Jack Prelutsky, Roald Dahl, Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss.

(En inglés)
This book will help me learn Spanish: Spanish Verb Tenses by Dorothy Richmond. Mrs. Richmond is a teacher of Spanish and the author of five books in the Practice Makes Perfect series. I will learn a lot from this book.

Saturday, March 18, 2017

With fake news the subject of enormous concern in education/information communities, I want to highlight a new arrival in Bellview library that broaches the subject with young readers. The April 2017 issue of National Geographic Kids presents outrageous animal photos and asks if they are “real or fake.” It also presents guidelines to help readers separate “real-life headlines" from “phony-baloney stories.” This is a very timely subject, and I think the animal pictures make it especially accessible, something that children can relate to.

(En inglés)
Reading an advertisement for work in a library: “Spanish bilingual skills are required.” I want to talk with library patrons in the language they understand. For now, I speak and understand only a little Spanish, but I am studying. Blog entries written in Spanish are part of my regular practice. I look up words I don’t know.

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

According to Julie B. Todaro, American Library Association president, “one of the biggest assignments” facing the library professional is to combat “fake news” and help readers to verify credible authors as well as accuracy and purpose of content.

“We have decades of research data, curricula, best practices, tutorials, and marketing approaches to combat this scourge. But now more than ever we have to step forward on this topic because it’s no longer business as usual.”

Todaro suggests library workers can learn from a powerful shift in language being engaged in by journalists: “Reporters and anchors who used to say that ‘X is speaking today on Y’ now say ‘X is giving his or her impression of Y.’”

Friday, March 3, 2017

I often find such wonderful treasures during “Friends of the Library” book-sale events and this morning I ducked into the Spring 2017 Book Sale during a visit to Sonoma County Library’s Central Library in Santa Rosa, Calif. Amid sale offerings, How to Get Your Child to Love Reading by Esmé Raji Codell seemed perfect given my deep interest in library service to children.

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

For Women’s History Month, I brought out this posterboard display that I created during my first spring in Bellview library: a collage of cut-outs featuring U.S. astronaut Sally Ride, Sacagawea, who guided Lewis and Clark on their expedition; and First Lady Michelle Obama. The posterboard is accompanied by several titles from the library’s collection of biographies: civil rights activists, artists, aviators, politicians, sports figures and more.

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

I love the tagline on the “Awful Library Books” blog, “Hoarding is not collection development.” The blog commemorates actual books that were once in libraries and in some cases, still are -- presented as arguments for removing outdated materials from a library collection.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

In spite of snow that accumulated overnight, all Ashland, Oregon schools are running as scheduled and on time today (Feb. 23, 2017). That's according to a 5:37 a.m. update to the district’s “School Closure & Delayed Start Info” page. “Our Director of Transportation spent the early morning hours driving the bus routes to verify that buses can safely transport students to school. We encourage all staff, parents and students to drive slowly and use caution when traveling to school campuses this morning.” Shown: the view from our apartment’s back window from the perspective of our cat Starfire.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

In Bellview library, teacher-librarian Matt Damon has been reviewing the Dewey Decimal classification system for shelving “informational” books: in order numerically, starting with 000 and continuing to 999. Each number corresponds to a subject, with similar subjects grouped in categories.

My condolences to the family of Steve Buttry, who died Feb. 19 of pancreatic cancer at age 62. I met Steve when I worked in the newsroom of a California newspaper; his employer, Digital First Media (DFM), provided management services for the newspaper’s parent company.

Our newsroom was transitioning to a multi-platform publishing strategy that placed an emphasis on “digital first,” and Steve came to our newsroom during a tour of member newspapers to share resources and strategies, and also to bring back with him any challenges we might face at our stage of implementing.

(En inglés)
Along with reading books for children, I am reading La Voz / The Voice. It is a magazine written in Spanish and English, published in northern California. I can read the newspaper on a computer, or I can print it out on paper. In California, La Voz is available in many physical locations. Stories in Spanish and English are side-by-side on the page. I hope by reading this bilingual magazine, to improve my understanding of Spanish.

Monday, February 13, 2017

The “Stories Alive” story-collecting machine is at Bellview Elementary School, and will accept students’ contributions throughout the month of February.

Stories Alive transforms students’ creative writing into artistic performances. Throughout February, writer’s workshops are offered at Bellview for students in grades 2 to 5. Kindergarteners and first-graders are invited to writer’s workshops at the Ashland Public Library.

Actors will perform several students’ work during a school assembly on Tuesday, March 21. Students’ creations will also be compiled and published in a book.

(En inglés)
I am reading books for children, in Spanish. They are: El fútbol es nuestro juego by Leila Boyle Gemme (a translation by Lada Josefa Kratky of Soccer is Our Game), ¿Eres Tu Mi Madre? / Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman (translation from English by Carlos Rivera), and El año de Gato Galano by Donald Charles (a version in Spanish of Calico Cat’s Year, translated by Alma Flor Ada). I read these books to learn Spanish. They are available at my school library.

About Me

I’m a library paraprofessional and editor who “wears many hats.” Creativity is my superpower. I travel by bicycle and bus. I draw attention to issues faced by adults who are on the autism spectrum, with special concern for the targets of bullying among both children and adults.

Affiliate Links

My writings and reviews of books I’ve enjoyed include “affiliate links.” If you make book purchases through my blog, I’ll receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”